In the Rough
by dustytiger
Summary: Kate goes to pick DiNozzo up for work, but finds out he's got another way in and a woman in his bedroom. A Cassidy/DiNozzo stand alone.


Title: In the Rough  
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T like the show to be safe  
Disclaimer: Once again NCIS belongs to its network, creator, writers, actors and actresses who make it happen weekly. I remain poor and not making a penny from this, just like the fuzzies.  
Summary: Kate goes to pick DiNozzo up for work, but finds out he's got another way in and a woman in his bedroom.  
Notes: This is a stand alone. I'm not sure exactly where the idea came from but this is what the muse gave me. The title is taken from Anna Nalick song. I've always thought that DiNozzo/Cassidy hooked up at some point while they knew each other. Please be kind.

* * *

Caitlin Todd was annoyed, she had been waiting on her partner for well over twenty minutes now. She liked to get in earlier than him, and since his car was in the shop she had been driving him in. She had called him a few times but hadn't gotten an answer. She went into the building and buzzed up to his unit. As she waited someone else was leaving and smiled keeping the door open for her. She quickly scooted inside already thinking about ways she planned to make him pay. If they ended up being late because he'd slept in she was going to shoot him. She got to his door, and began to knock. A few second later Tony was standing in the doorway wearing only a pair of boxers.

"Jesus Tony, I don't need to see that," she growled.

"You're lucky I put boxers on Kate, but Missus Jones across the hall's heart isn't as strong as it used to be."

"You're such a pig. I told you I'd be here at seven."

"And I messaged you and told you I found another way in."

"Tony," they heard a familiar female voice call from the bedroom. "I thought you were going in late this morning."

"Is that-?" Kate asked as he shut the door and locked it.

Paula Cassidy came about of the bedroom wearing one of his button-down shirts DiNozzo looked at her and groaned already knowing what his partner would thing about the situation. The two of them were clearly very comfortable together and Kate had to stop herself from going for her side arm. Instead she looked at her phone and saw there was in fact a message from him, although he had sent it late the night before and she could tell why he'd been up by the way they were both dressed.

"What's wrong?" Cassidy asked

"Kate got her wires crossed," he told her.

"Yeah, uh sorry," muttered Kate uncertainly, the words coming out angry and annoyed.

"Well Tony, things were just starting to get fun," Cassidy told him pulling him back toward her.

Kate was already half way out of the apartment at that point. Cassidy moved toward DiNozzo and pulled him into an intense kiss. He easily pulled her back toward the bedroom. As much as he knew this would be fodder for the rumour mill at that moment he didn't care. He didn't work directly with Cassidy, and he hadn't done anything wrong.

Kate meanwhile had gotten into her car and drove to work stopping for a coffee as well as a caf pow. She didn't even bother to put her things at her desk before she went down to Abby's lab. As soon as she got off the elevator she knew the goth was in her office since she could already hear the bass from whatever was playing in the office. When Kate opened the door the music stopped, and she was happy to find a drink being pushed into her hands.

"Did a bee fly up your nose?" Abby Scuito asked, confused, but still gladly taking the drink and taking a long sip from it, a smile crossing her face.

"It's nothing Abs," Kate assured her then sighed loudly.

"How about you just spit it out," Abby suggested.

"I missed Tony's message that he had another way in this morning. Did you know he was dating Cassidy?"

Abby laughed. "They're not dating Kate, they're just venting some steam."

"That's disgusting! You're okay with this?"

"It's not really up to me to be okay with, or you for that matter. It's working for them that's all that matters."

"So you'd just sleep with Tony like it's nothing?"

"Ew no!" Abby replied.

"So you feel the same way!"

"I didn't say that. I wouldn't sleep with Tony he's like my big brother, and that's just icky. I have friends who I've slept with and it doesn't have to be a big deal. Kate you've really never just slept with a guy for the sake of doing it?"

"No!" Kate snapped, shaking her head, clearly not happy by this answer. "Sometimes I think I'm surrounded by neanderthals!"

She stormed out of the office and Abby shook her head. She wasn't surprised when DiNozzo appeared in her office later that day also with a caf pow for her. She decided she wouldn't tell anyone how many of the caffeinated drinks she'd already had that morning.

"Hey Abs," he greeted handing her the drink.

"Oh no Tony you're not bribing me with caffeine. Besides I already told Kate what you're gonna want me to tell her, and she doesn't want to hear it."

"Regardless of what she thinks about it she should respect my privacy."

"You're not wrong." She hugged him. "But I can't fix this."

"I know Abs."

The door to the lab opened again and Gibbs came. "What have you got for me Abs," he asked.

"Nothing good Gibbs," she told him, as another caf pow appeared in front of her.

"DiNozzo, upstairs," barked Gibbs. "Work with Kate on financials."

"Boss," DiNozzo sighed.

"All right with McGee then, Abs when I come back down I want more."

Abby nodded and looked at all the drinks in front her, knowing that with all this help she'd find what she was looking for in no time. DiNozzo had already gone back up to the bullpen, and Gibbs wasn't far behind.

"McGee and DiNozzo are working on financials and computer stuff. Kate take Cassidy with you to inform the family and see what you can get from them."

Cassidy was at a different desk and looked up surprised to hear Gibbs giving her orders. She knew better than to question him. The two women just looked at each other before taking their weapons from where they each kept them. Gibbs threw the keys at Cassidy. DiNozzo looked up, but the look Cassidy gave him told him to keep his mouth shut. The two women drove to address they had in silence, both just looking in the other's direction. The only way this could be more awkward would be if DiNozzo was sitting between them trying to make jokes.

"Kate do you think you could remove your head from your ass for a minute and focus on the fact we need to tell a family they've lost their son?" Cassidy asked.

"Sure," Kate sighed shaking her head.

"Funny I thought I worked for a federal agency and had graduated from high school a while ago. So I was at Tony's this morning what's the big deal? Are you jealous?"

"I think I just threw up in my mouth, why the hell would I be jealous? I wouldn't want to touch Tony with a ten foot pole. It's disgusting."

"What's disgusting exactly? Me?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to. It's my life, and my business who I choose to sleep with and it would be nice if I didn't have to listen to rumours about me the few times I'm working from headquarters."

"Why do you think it was me? Tony's got a mouth a mile long."

"Because this isn't the first time I've worked with Tony and this is the first time the place has been buzzing about my off work activities. It doesn't take an investigator to connect the dots."

Kate looked at her in disbelief. "You've done this before?"

"What does it matter? It doesn't interfere with our work and it's really not a big deal. I didn't know you were such a prude."

Kate shook her head as they pulled up to the address they were looking for. "How about we just get this over with?"

"You took the words out of my mouth."

The two of them did the notification and a quick interview before they went back to the navy yard. Cassidy was happy to go back to her temporary desk and her next assignment couldn't come soon enough. Gibbs appeared at her desk, and without having to say anything she followed him to the elevator, where he shut of the machine.

"Gibbs?" Cassidy asked tentatively, staring at him in the near darkness.

"When you are here you and Tony aren't, do you understand me?" he asked.

"There are no rules against it, and it's nothing Gibbs."

"It's against _my _rules."

"I don't work for you. This has never changed our work before although it might this time when I kill Kate with her own damn weapon!"

Gibbs nodded. "Tread lightly."

"We always have."

He nodded again and restarted the elevator. As they walked back to their desks DiNozzo looked over at her uncertainly. A moment after she'd sat down DiNozzo's phone binged. He smiled looking at the message. _See you later. No more crossed wires or you'll be in the elevator with Gibbs,_ he read and nodded, knowing going forward they would need to be a lot more careful. He didn't need anything to change with her, and he knew she felt the same way.

The End

Notes: This a little bit different from my usual fuzzies, but I hope you like it. Let me know, thank you for taking the time to read this and for any reviews or favs you might be inclined to send my way. hearts and hugz -trista


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